February 2009

• N-glycan biosynthesis: Flipping for precursors

  A specific enzyme named flippase translocates the precursor of all N-glycans from the cytoplasmic face to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

  Functional Glycomics Gateway (2009)
  doi:10.1038/fg.2009.7

• Oligosaccharyltransferases: A sweet assembly line

  Two isoforms of the oligosaccharyltransferase active site subunit cooperate to glycosylate polypeptides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) – one adds carbohydrate modifications to proteins as they are translated whereas the other is responsible for post-translational glycosylation of sites overlooked by the first enzyme.

  Functional Glycomics Gateway (2009)
  doi:10.1038/fg.2009.8